Well, the two #1 seeds are through. Peyton simply slaughtered the Patriots (if you watched the game the final score was not indicative of the game) and Seattle came damn close to losing to a 49ers team that just didn't quit.

I may live in Vermont, but I have no love at all for the Patriots. I will take great pleasure in hearing the lamentations of my cube buddy come Tuesday.

Early line is Broncos -1.5 or so. I think the Broncos no-huddle will sufficiently disrupt the Seattle "change the D for every play" to take it. Weather, if anything, will favor Denver.

I don't think the no huddle will bother the Seattle secondary. If anything, Seattle's offensive line is highly suspect. Wilson's productivity woes are directly related to the lack of protection. Sjoot, Lynch's numbers are very good till you see how many yards he gets after contact. He is incredible.

We got rid of our cable to save money and went to Netflix. My usual Superbowl party location is out because my friend has to work. I might watch at my parent's house, since they're happy to see the grandkids for whatever excuse.

I usually am more interested in the commercials since the teams I like seldom make it to the big game.

I am from Indianapolis, so I was also very happy to see the Patriots lose.

However, it also means that I've been a Peyton Manning fan since 1998, and while he is a very good most of the time, he can also be very bad if things don't go his way. He might be able to handle Seattle's defense better than Kaepernick or Brees, but it's not going to be easy for him, and if he gets knocked out of his groove Seattle will be the champs. A couple notes from the AFC game, too. Denver had posession for 11 minutes more than New England, and IIRC, Peyton was only hurried once with zero knockdowns and sacks.

Seattle's offense has been playing against much tougher defense, especially from San Francisco. So while they're somewhat mediocre, I think they'll score at least 20 points, and it will come down to how well Peyton does and how much pressure Seattle can put on him.

Should be a good game, if nothing else.

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"

Hawkwing74 wrote:We got rid of our cable to save money and went to Netflix. My usual Superbowl party location is out because my friend has to work. I might watch at my parent's house, since they're happy to see the grandkids for whatever excuse.

I usually am more interested in the commercials since the teams I like seldom make it to the big game.

Growing up in Washington (not D.C.) and living in Colorado, I have watched both of these teams nearly every week. Here is my takeaways. Please feel free to disagree, but these are observations. I was a recruited high school offensive guard and inside linebacker 20 years ago (knee injury missed my senior year, so no college for me), so I definitely come into things with a bias/understanding of the impact of the Offensive Lines.

Just to expound on my matchups and I how I see things playing out.

In watching the Seattle-Denver pre-season game, the one thing I noticed was that Peyton (he isn't Manning, is he? He's Peyton) got very frustrated, something that does not usually happen. If Seattle's D can frustrate him, it will be a wild game.

Seattle's D-Line = Denver's O-Line - Because they have so many amazing edge rushers (Avril, Clemmons, Bennet, Irvine, and Bryant) and a ton of interior wide-bodies (McDonald, McDaniel, Mebane, and Hill), they will be able to wear down the Denver O-Line. Look for big things in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Also, Manning is very not mobile. I do not think he will throw more than one INT, but two is possible. Look for a few sacks. Watch for Denver's O-Line (and pass game) to be effective in the 1st and 3rd quarters, when they are rested. This, to me, may be the key to the game. If Denver's O-Line can give Peyton time to pass, Bronco's win. If he is constantly hurried and frustrated, Seahawks have a greater chance.

Seattle's Secondary > Denver's Receivers - This is mostly just the pure receivers, but the 5 DB's/Safeties that Seattle runs out there are the best I've seen since... shoot, Tampa in 2002? And that is very close. Welker is a wildcard. I cannot wait to see how they try and defend him. I expect him to catch 10 or so passes, because the intermediate threat from the DB's are big. Denver can exploit most of Seattle's LB's in coverage.

Denver's D-Line >> Seattle's O-Line - Seattle's O-Line is a mess. Yeah, they went half the season with second and third stringers because of injuries to both tackles and their center, but even at their best, they aren't great. Very average. Okung is really not the LT they had hoped for. He did not handle Smith well at all. Might be lingering injury issues, but Denver's D-Line will mean there will be 3-4 sacks on Wilson. If Wilson can not roll out or run for ~40-50 yards, Seattle will struggle offensively.

Denver's Secondary > Seattle Receivers - Denver's secondary wins this only because Seattle's receiver corps is weak. Losing Sidney Rice really had an effect the last few games (see Wilson's reduced passing numbers, they are not from a vacuum). Sure, a rusty Percy Harvin will help, but it is not a panacea. It will really come down to how much rust Harvin has. As well as how much they use Champ Bailey on Tate and Harvin. Champ is.. well, old. He has lost a good step and a half. He should camp on Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse and call it good.

Seattle's Running Game > Denver's Run Stopping - Yes, I have major doubts around Seattle's O-Line, but Marshawn Lynch's Yards after Contact was 77 yards out of 140 yards. He flat out gets angry when tackles are attempted. Look for Lynch to be a very angry runner.

Seattle's Run Stopping = Denver's Running Game - Denver is definitely a pass-first team. If weather is poor, look for good matchups here. I call it a push, but it might be in Seattle's favor. Seattle's LB corps are typically pretty good at stopping the run, but Kam Chancellor at Strong Safety is a terror. He is the size of a LB at 6'3" 232lbs, but with excellent speed for a safety. He is a run stopper. Excellent on runs to the outside. If Denver keeps it up the middle and keeps up the play action, it will be a push.

Seattle Special Teams > Denver's Special Teams - Seattle has had 82 yards of punt returns of the season. This is a return of 3.9 yards / punt. Seriously? Do not look for any sort of run back for a TD against Seattle Special Teams.

Denver QB >> Seattle Defense - I don't know if there has been a smarter QB than Peyton Manning. He really is the smartest guy on the field. If he gets creative, he can single-handedly turn the tide for the Denver receiver vs Seattle secondary battle. If he does, and Seattle doesn't adapt well, look for a Denver win.

Seattle QB = Denver Defense - Russell Wilson has raw talent, leadership, and charisma that drips from him. Give him 10 years, and we'll see what happens. But for now, because of a simple lack of experience (and the highly suspect Seattle O-Line), look for Seattle to be a highly balanced run:pass offense. If they can find decent success on both, look for 20+ points. If they stall on one, and the other cannot make the Denver Defense pay, look for low scores.

John Fox/Peyton Manning = Pete Carroll - I call this a push, mostly because John Fox is not as good on offense as Peyton is, and Pete Carroll, while good, his Offense Coordinator Darrell Bevell lacks imagination. However, whoever has the best plan (weather permitting) will probably win.

The Weather Factor - if its bad weather, look for Wes Welker and Marshawn Lynch to have huge games. Julius Thomas could be the difference maker, but KJ Wright may just shut him down (he did against the Saints' Jimmy Graham). I cannot wait to see this matchup.

My keys to the game - Denver's passing game, Seattle's balanced offense. Both need to find some success. If it becomes a defense-dominated game, it will be Seattle getting its first Super Bowl. If Seattle's Defense scores, look for a Seattle win.

Yep. Its the old antenna. I live an hour or so from Denver, and pick up ~50 channels, 20 of which are spanish or religious. But, I get a ton of content in HD and its free. Add in a DVR and you are set. Anyway, just a thought for you.

1. Peyton Manning vs the Seattle secondary. Peyton hasn't seen anything like Seattle's secondary this year but that's not to say Peyton isn't equal to the task. He is, after all, one of the best quarterbacks of all time. If the LOB has a good game, which they almost always do, then Denver is in trouble.

2. Marshawn Lynch vs Denver D. If Denver's D does not stop Marshawn then Seattle wins. Seattle will attempt to run the whole game, even if it does not work at times. Once Marshawn gets going he's the hardest to bring down.

I think inclement weather favors Seattle's game more so than Denver's.

Honestly, I think the Superbowl was last weekend between the Seahawks and Niners. I think either of those teams beats Denver.

I've heard a lot of people say that the weather could favor Denver; I think that's wrong. I think that if the weather is as bad as they're predicting, it actually favors Seattle. Why? Because Seattle has a balanced offense with a power running game, whereas Denver is very pass-centric and can only run off the pass. As good as Manning is, a lot of his success is built around precision and timing, which tend to go out the window once you throw wind, snow, and cold into the mix.

My prediction(s) are: If it's an ice bowl, Seattle grinds it out and wins a low-scoring slug fest; if weather is fair, Seattle wins a higher scoring game.

Hawkwing74 wrote:We got rid of our cable to save money and went to Netflix. My usual Superbowl party location is out because my friend has to work. I might watch at my parent's house, since they're happy to see the grandkids for whatever excuse.

I usually am more interested in the commercials since the teams I like seldom make it to the big game.

So... you don't do OTA? I do, and its amazing.

I live in Seattle proper, just off the I-5 / I-90 interchange and I do OTA antenna. Fox broadcasts a 1080p signal that is BRILLIANT. Absolutely brilliant. My brother came over to watch a game, and he was flabbergasted/furious at how much better it looked than the compressed Comcast signal he gets over the wire. If you live in a metropolitan area with a good view, like me, DO IT. Cut that cord, baby!

superjawes wrote:OTA doesn't always work. I'm in Chicago's west suburbs and I can rarely get CBS, and if I do, it's not pretty.

Yeah I should qualify that the only major networks I get are ABC, CBS, and FOX (no NBC ) ABC and FOX come in fine, but CBS is unstable. Good looking signal, but just don't walk in front of the antenna or it'll interrupt. The FOX signal is rock-solid, though.

At least CBS is working on alternatives. I know there are streaming options from their site/Metro apps in Win8, and they were streaming the AFC postseason games from the sports site (still was choppy, but it was an alternative).

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"

I did spend $150 for an antenna. But, I am 60+ miles from the transmitters. And I get pretty strong signals. http://www.antennaweb.org is a great resource and they will advise you on what class of antenna to get. I needed one of the big hurking things and guide wires and a 20' pole. But, if you are near the transmitters, you can use a much smaller one and which way to point them.

I'm looking forward to the effects on fans after this game. Many souls layout out emotions for this game. I've even got a college friend who is a huge Broncos fan living in Seattle. He's been wearing orange for two weeks and made bets for jerseys and Facbook profile pictures (loser wears the winning team's jersey or whatnot).

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"

superjawes wrote:I'm looking forward to the effects on fans after this game. Many souls layout out emotions for this game. I've even got a college friend who is a huge Broncos fan living in Seattle. He's been wearing orange for two weeks and made bets for jerseys and Facbook profile pictures (loser wears the winning team's jersey or whatnot).

I was hoping for a blizzard or an ice storm to make it a real game. If the current forecast holds (49F) it'll be a full 10F warmer than the coldest Super Bowl ever, namely Super Bowl VI at Tulane Stadium in Nawlins, which featured a game-time temp of 39F.

Nawlins holding the record for the lowest kickoff temp. Doesn't seem quite right.

Ninja: Matter of fact, Tulane Stadium has 2 of the 3 sub-50F kickoff temps. The interloper is SB XLVI in Indy at 44F.

I was hoping to see my Saints get through, but alas they continued their horrible on-the-road record (as they probably would have anyway if they somehow made it to the super bowl).

I've always had a soft spot for Seattle, though. Their defense is so much fun to watch these days, and it got me though quite a few fantasy games this past season when my offense simply did not deliver. Plus Peyton was the commissioner's QB, and he was more or less the bane of my existence all season. Yeah, I freakin know he's among the greatest to ever play the game. Why don't you tell me ONE MORE TIME how crazy accurate his passes are? Because you know, I totally can't see that for myself. I want so desperately to see him lose, and Seattle is the team to make that happen.

In all fairness though, it could be worse. I could be watching Tom Brady play this game... just the thought of him holding up that trophy makes me nauseous. Thank the football gods that won't happen.

So yeah. Idealistically, I'd take Seattle to win probably in overtime in a medium-scoring game. They need guys like Tate to come out of the gate with those gnarly punt returns, and otherwise just do what they do best: destroy a legendary offense. Realistically, Peyton will win because he's Peyton.